Printing tabulating mechanism



Oct. 9, 1951 I FLEMING 2,570,931

PRINTING TABULATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 10, 1949 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 3m entor HOWARD M. FLEMING Cittomcg Filed Nov. 10, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 9, 1951 H. M. FLEMING 2,570,931

PR l INTING TABULATING MECHANISM ZSnventor HOWARD M. FLEMKNG attorney H. M. FLEMING PRINTING TABULATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 10, 1949 w \EV Zhwentor HOWARD M. FLEM\N Gr Oct. 9, 1951 H. M. FLEMING 2,570,931

PRINTING TABULATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 10, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ZSnnentor HOWARD M. FLEMING Gttorneg Oct. 9, 1951 H. M. FL MING 2,570,931

PRINTING LABULA'IING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 10, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snvcntor HOWARD M.FLEMING Gflorncg skip stop locator means therefor.

Patented Oct. 9, 1951 PRINTING TABULATING MECHANISM Howard M. Fleming, West Orange, N. J assignor to Monroe Calculating Machine Company, Orange, N. J., a corporation of Delaware Application November 10, 1949, Serial No. 126,499

11 Claims. 1

The invention relates to printing tabulating mechanisms in adding and listing machines, and more particularly to platen carriage column The invention is shown as applied to the tabulating mechanism of the adding listing or accounting machine constructed in accordance with the disclosure of United States Patent No. 1,946,572, issued to Loring P. Crosman, February 13, 1934, as modified by the disclosure of Patent No. 2209,512, issued to the same inventor July 30, 1940.

In certain c asses of work performed upon account ng machines. it is often desirable, upon completion of an operation in a given column of a form sheet that, rather than shift to the next succeeding columnar position, the platen carriage shall continue shifting to some further predetermined columnar position.

Under these conditions, or when columnar spacing is extensive, the platen carriage may attain cons derable speed. Because of this, particularly when the carriage also has considerable inertia, it has been found advantageous to provide cushioning means in the mechanism for bringing the carriage to rest in the desired columnar position. One such means, for instan"e, is set forth in Patent No. 2.209.512. The mechanisms of this patent, however, have certain limitations as to accuracy, speed, and extent of operations clue to what may be termed the cushioning movement of the carriage locating detent.

The present invention provides an improved skip tabulating mechanism and includes, among other features, means for maintaining a definite relation between the control means for initiating reengagement and the final subsequent reengagement of a cushion stop locator detent with spaced stopping means of a shiftable platen carriage, regardless of the speed and extent of carriage mo ement and irrespe tive of the extent of the relative movement between the platen carriage and the cushioned locating devices.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts as set forth in the following description and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:

Fig. 1 is a right side elevation view of the cyclic operating devices and the control means therefor, the parts being shown in their normal position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view taken after operation of the column skip control key, thejparts being shown in mid-cycle position.

Fig. 3 is a right-handcross sectional elevation view taken substantially through the center of the machine showing the keyboard, register actuating, and printing means.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary rear elevation view showing the platen carriage cushion stop loeating devices and a portion of the carriage tabulating means.

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of a portion of the platen carriage cushion stop locating means, with part of the notched carriage tabulator bar, showing the means for controlling the reengagement of the locating means with said bar.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cushion governor and associated parts.

General structure The adding listing machine to which the invention is shown as applied is of well known type illustrated in the patents heretofore referred to. It will be suflicient to describe the machine proper very generally and to say that for each denominational order the machine is provided with a three armed differential actuator lever numbered BIO (Fig. 3), loosely mounted on a shaft 608. The forward arm of each lever 6) terminates in a segmental registering rack; the rearward arm has a lister type bar 61! pivoted thereto, and the upper arm has pivotal connection with a differential stop bar 6l5 cooperating with a bank of digit keys 215 to limit the movement of the lever BID.

The digit keys 2|5 are depressible to represent a value and when depressed are latched in position with the bottoms of their stems lying in the path of movement of the related stop lugs of the bars 615, and allow such bars to advance a distance proportionate to the value of the depressed key, upon operation of the machine. Depression of a digit key will also remove a column latch 2M from the path of movement of its related bar 6l5, which latches prevent movement of a stop bar lever 6H1 in any column in which no key is depressed.

A rock shaft 39! is provided with cam means 3I8 (Fig. 3) for governing the movement of a spring tensioned rocker frame 6l6, carrying a series of dogs GIT, normally engaged by stud 659 of the lever BIO. As shaft 30l is rotated forwardly (counterclockwise, Fig. 3) frame 6|6 will be rocked about shaft 698, and any of the levers fill! which have been released by depression of digit keys 215 will be allowed to rotate, under the influence of their springs 683, until they are stopped by the lugs of bar 6|5, contacting with the stems of the keys. Upon rearward (return) rotation of shaft 30!, the dogs 6|! will return the operated lever BIO to normal position. This excursion of lever 6H) serves to register amounts set in the keyboard upon one or more accumulators and to set up a similar amount on the printing line of the type bars.

Shaft 3fiI is oscillated by an electric motor I..;, connected through suitable gearing and clutc-r means, with a crank arm I65 (Fig. 1) connected by a rod I98 to an arm H6, fast upon shaft 36I, so that as crank arm I35 is rotated, shaft 36I will be oscillated.

Motor operation is controlled by motor bars or keys H4 through a clutch lever I66 which is provided with a roller adapted to close contact members H6 in the motor circuit after lever I96 is moved out of restraining engagement with the spring operated clutch. A spring I I I (Figs. 1 and 2) tends to pull lever I06 away from the clutch, the lever being normally held in clutch engaging position by means of a latch H2. Latch H2 is controlled by a trigger H3, lying in the path of movement of a lever arm connected with an add key or plus bar I I4. Upon depression of key I I4, trigger I I3 will release latch I I2 and clutch lever I66 will be pulled out of engagement with the clutch to start the machine in operation.

Upon release of key H4, latch H2 will return under spring action into latching position and, toward the end of the cycle of operation, an arm H5 connected with the crank member I85 will contact a tooth H6 of the clutch lever I06 and will force said lever back into latching position, breaking the electric circuit and bringing the end of lever I06 into the path of movement of the rotating clutch member to terminate the cycle.

As more fully disclosed in the Crosman Patent 1,946,572, to which reference is made for complete details, during operation by the plus bar I I4, the accumulator shafts 463 (Fig. 3) will be moved away from the racks of levers GIG before said racks are allowed to move, and will be moved to reengage the gears 412 while the racks lie in the extreme positions permitted by the keys M5 and stop bars 6I5. As shaft SDI is returned and the racks are raised, the value set in the keyboard will be additively transferred to the register.

A subtract key or minus bar 214 (Figs. 1 and 2) is located adjacent the plus bar H4. The free end of the subtract key lever is adapted to contact with and rock a plate H1 in a clockwise direction; said plate in turn also operates the trigger H3 to release latch H2 and start the machine in operation.

Also as set forth in said patent, operation of the minus bar 214 will adjust suitable devices for changing the time at which the accumulators are shifted out of and into mesh with the segmental racks so that the accumulators remain in engagement during the first or downward stroke of the racks and are thereafter disengaged before the return stroke of said racks, and consequently register subtractively those amounts set up in the keyboard.

Column tabulating As more fully described in Patent 2,209,512, to which reference is made for complete details, the platen carriage of the machine is tabulated from right to left under the influence of a spring drum 8 (Fig. 4) connected to the carriage by a tape 9, the carriage being held in its various tabulating positions by means of the notched bar I, the walls of the notches forming spaced stops I93 engageable successively b the end 6 of the detent I (Figs. 4 and 5), of a cushioned stop locator device having engagement with suitable variably spaced stop notches I63 of the notched bar I mounted within the framing of the platen carriage. Upon disengagement from the bar I, detent I is first caused to move in a direction opposite to the movement of the platen carriage in what may be termed a cushioning movement and, subsequently, upon reengagement with said bar, will be returned to normal position taking up this so-called cushioning movement first imparted to the detent.

Under normal adjacent column tabulation, the lever I is tripped free of bar I and immediately released for reengagement with an adjacent notch of bar I, by the cyclic devices in well known manner and as fully set forth in reference Patent 1,946,572. This reengagement in short column to column tabulations may occur early in a carriage movement and limits the cushioning excursion of detent I and associated parts to a partial extent of their full stroke of movement.

In skip column space operations, the means for releasing detent I for reengagement with ba I must be delayed until any of the notches I93 of bar I that are not to be effective are carried past the end 6 of detent I.

Also, due to the extensive cushioning movement of the cushioning devices and the consequent speed attained by detent I (coupled with that of the tabulating movement of the carriage) in skip column operations, means must be provided to insure that the locator detent I reengages the appropriate stop notch I93, following the release of said detent. More specifically, detent I is pivotally supported at its right end upon the upper end of a lever 66 fulcrumed upon a spring tensioned arm 6| (Fig. 4), forming in effect a yieldable extension of the frame of the machine. The free end 6 of detent I is held upwardly, in contact with the stops I93, by means of a spring urged arm 62, connected to the detent by a link 63. The detent is disengaged from bar I, near the end of the cyclic operations above described for the usual tabulating movements by downward movement of a member I84, operated in known manner as shown more particularly in Patent No. 1,946,572. Upon release of bar I by the end 6 of detent I, the carriage will be pulled toward the left (toward the right as viewed in Fig. 4) by the spring drum 8, and the detent, being immediately released by the member I84, will rise and ride on the under edge of bar I. The carriage thereafter moves sufficiently to bring an adjacent one of the notches I93 of bar I into register with the end 6 of the detent, which will rise under the influence of spring arm 62, and contact the wall I93 of the adjacent notch to arrest the platen carriage.

Carriage cushion stop means To cushion the carriage as it is brought to rest in tabulated position, as shown more fully in Patent 2,209,512, to which reference is made for complete details, lever and detent I are moved to the left (Fig. 4) when the detent is released from bar I prior to reengagement of the detent with bar I, i. e., with the wall of the next notch I93 by a spring 61 working through a ratchet disk 64 and link 65 connecting the ratchet disk and lever 60. In this movement of lever 60 to the left, said disk ratchets idly counterclockwise under the pawls 66 on gear wheel 68. Upon movement of the lever 60 to the right (Fig. 4) under influence of the carriage spring drum 8 as the carriage is being brought to rest, link 65 Will rotate disk 64 clockwise and the ratchet teeth of the disk will engage the pawls 66 to rotate a gear Wheel 68 clockwise. Gear 68 is connected through gearing '69-H (Figs. 4 and 6) with the shaft I2 of a centrifugal governor comprising pivotal arms I3 and brake shoes H,

attached to said arms and operating upon a stationary braking surface 15. Thus, the final movement of the platen carriage into the new tabulating position will move detent 1 and lever 60 toward the right (Fig. 4), rotate the governor, and bring the brake shoe 14 into contact with the surfaces 15 to arrest the carriage movement graduallyand to finally stop the carriage at a definite point when the toggle formed by the link 65 and disk 64 is again returned to its normal extended position shown in Fig. 4. It will be understood that the carriage tabulating movement is to the left as viewed from the front of the machine by the operator (Fig. 5) but to the right as viewed from Fig. 4.

Skip column tabulating Skip column tabulating is well known in the art and is used for many different classes of work performed upon listing adding machines of the type herein disclosed. One such class of work is the common bank statement. It is customary in bank statement work to insert a statement sheet into the platen carriage forward of a journalsheet in such a manner as to have the left hand, or old balance column of the journal sheet exposed to the printing type members.

With the platen carriage in its extreme right position, as viewed by the operator (Fig. 5), an

amount (taken from the statement sheet and being the balance carried forward from a previous operation) is set up on the keyboard. This amount may be accumulated upon a register and listed upon the journal sheet as follows: If the operation following the posting operation is to be performed in the checks column of the statement sheet, an operator will post the old balance by using the add key 4, following which the platen carriage automatically shifts to the next columnar position, as heretofore described, bringing the checks column of the statement sheet into alignment with the printing devices.

If no entries are to be made in the checks column position, the operator will initiate the balance posting operation by a rearward movement of a three position operating lever 20| (Figs. 1 and 2), whereupon the platen carriage will be automatically shifted following this cycle of operation and will continue its shifting movement through the checks column position and be brought to rest in the deposits column as follows:

Control means for skip column tabulating Operating lever 20| (Figs. 1 and 2) is pivotally mounted at 202 to the right framing of the machine and is normally held in its central position by means of a spring 203, connected at one end to a centralizing lever 204 which engages stud 205 and projection 206 of 'lever 201. The opposite end of spring 203 is connected to a bell crank lever 201 pivoted to the framing at 208 and serves to bias said lever in a counterclockwise direction.

Pivotally connected at 209 to the lever 201 is an upwardly extending finger 2l0 provided with a projection 2H normally positioned intermediate of levers 2| 2 and H3, fulcrumed at M6 to the framing of the machine. An arm 2l1, pivotally connected at 2l8 to the operating lever 20I extends rearwardly and is provided with a pin 2l9 projecting into a triangular cam notch 20 of finger 210. A spring 22l connected to finger 2H] and arm 2" biases said arm upwardly, forming a yieldable connection between operating 6 lever 20! and finger 210. Lever 201 and'finger 2 ID are held in lower position against tension of spring 203 by engagement of projection 222 of lever 201 with a lower arcuate edge 223 of operating lever 201.

During rearward movement of operating lever 20l, arm 211 will bemoved rearwardly and pin 210 engaging the rear cam face of cam notch 220 will cause arm 2I1 to yield downwardly. Further movement of lever 20! releases arcuate edge 223 from projection 222, whereupon spring '203 will impart counterclockwise movement to lever 201, moving finger 2l0 upwardly and rearwardly through pin and slot engagement 2| 9, 220, the pin being urged upwardly by spring 22l, to position projection 211 of said finger above lever 2| 2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

A rearward arm 204a of centralizing lever 204 engages a pin 224 of the add key I I4 and, during rearward movement of lever 20!, pin 205 will rock lever 204 in clockwise direction to depress the add key and start the cycle of operation in the manner previously described.

As shown in Fig. 2, operating lever 20l is held in operated position by projection 222 of lever 201, until released near the end of a cycle of operation in the following manner:

Mounted upon a cam arm 320 (Figs. 1 and 2) fast to rock shaft 30I, is a stud 225, adapted upon return clockwise movement of cam 320 to engage the bottom edge of a one-way pawl 226, pivoted at 221 upon the lever 201, and to rock said lever in a clockwise direction. Clockwise movement of lever 201 will release lever 20! for restoration by centralizer 204, whereupon plus bar I I4 is also permitted to return to its normal position and the machine cycle will be terminated as heretofore described.

During clockwise movement of lever 20! finger 210 is moved downwardly and projection 2H rocks lever 2l'2 counterclockwise which, through its projecting end, imparts a counterclockwise rocking movement to a release lever 228 (Fig. 5) fulcrumed at 229 to the machine frame. The left lower edge of said lever slidingly engages the upper edge of detent 1 and during the above operation will depress detent 1 and disengages the forward end 6 thereof from the spaced stop surface of a notch I93 of tabulating bar I. Restoration of lever 20l also, through pin and slot connection 219, 220, releases projection 21 I from lever 2l2.

Fulcrumed at 230-23I (Fig. 5) within brackets 232-233, secured to the stationary framing of the machine, is a square shaft 234 which has a latch arm 235 secured thereto. Arm 235 is held againstthe forward face of release lever 228 by a spring 236 adapted to impart clockwise rotation (as viewed from the right) to shaft 234. Slidably mounted upon shaft 234 and adapted for rotation therewith is a finger 231 embraced by depending projections 238, 239, of detent ,1. Finger 231 is normally held rocked forward (counterclockwise) out of the path of a control pin 240 fast to the tabulator bar I, by the above engagement of latch arm 235 with lever 228 which holds shaft 234 in counterclockwise direction against the action of spring 236.

Upon rocking of lever 228 to release detent 1 from bar I, however, said lever is moved beneath arm 235, permitting said arm to rock rearwardly or clockwise with shaft 234. In this position arm 235 will engage the upper left top surface of release lever 228 and hold it in operated position. At the same time finger 231 is moved into the path of movement of control pin 24!) positioned upon the tabulator bar I corresponding to a spaced stop I93 of the columnar position to which the platen carriage is to be brought finally to rest.

As earlier set forth, upon release of detent 'I from a spaced stop I93, the platen carriage is shifted toward the left (Fig. under influence of spring drum 8, while detent I is shifted toward the right under influence of spring 61 of the cushion stop devices.

The cushion stroke movement of detent I may be of such length as to carry the end 6 of said detent, in the rightward movement thereof, past one or more of the stopping edges I93, and particularly so when combined with the movement of the carriage in an opposite direction. The finger 231 therefor is adapted through projection 23B-2'39 for co-extensive, or substantially coextensive movement with the detent, to maintain a substantially fixed relation between the end 6 of said detent and finger 231. Thus, regardless of the extent of the relative movement of detent I and pin 249, said pin will engage the cam edge 24I of finger 231 and rock shaft 234 to disengage latch arm 235 from release lever 228 in time to permit reengagement of the end 6 of detent I with a stop edge I93 related to pin 240.

In operations performed by lever I therefore the platen carriage will skip the checks columnar position and be brought to rest under control of a pin 248 related to the deposits columnar position.

Operations in the deposits column are additive in character and therefore will be entered and printed by use of the plus bar lI4. During this operation the arm I84 releases detent 1 for carriage tabulation to a succeeding columnar position, all in well known manner as shown in Patent 1,946,572. This position of the carriage usually corresponds to the new balance column of the statement form sheet.

Entries in the checks column of a statement sheet may be made in well known manner by use of the minus bar 214, following which operation the carriage will shift to bring the deposit column to the printing point.

In the event that no deposit entries are to be made, however, it is desirable that the carriage shall shift from the checks column past the deposits column to the new balance column. This may be accomplished by entering an item in the checks column, using operating lever 20L A forward movement of lever 29I initiates a cycle of operation and sets devices for rendering the pin 2'40 ineffective for stopping the platen carriage in the deposits column. The carriage under such conditions continues shifting until stopped by a pin 240a in a predetermined columnar position corresponding to the new balance column of the statement sheet.

As previously described, the projection 295 of operating lever 20I engages the lower edge of centralizing lever 204 upon a forward movement of lever 20I and rocks lever 204 clockwise, to depress the add key II4 and initiate a cycle of operation.

Since operations in the checks columnar position, however, are subtractive in character, the minus key 214 may be operated simultaneously with lever 29I to adjust well known devices to provide for a subtractive registration. In any event, a minus operation must take place upon operation of lever 2I1I for this entry.

It 'is to be noted at this time, however, that while the described manual mode of operation is set forth to simplify the description the invention contemplates the use of the automatic program devices for register selection and the character of operations performed thereon, under control of the shiftable platen carriage, as fully set forth in the reference Patent 1,946,572.

Forward movement of operating lever 20l also, through pin and slot connection 2I9220, provides for positioning projection 2II of finger 2I0 above lever 2I3. As finger 2I0 is restored at the end of the cycle of operation, projection 2II will engage and operate lever 2 I3. Lever 2I3 will engage projection 24I of lever 2I2 underlying lever H3 and will rock lever 2I2 and release carriage locator detent I, as previously described.

A downwardly extending arm 242 of lever 2I3 is provided with a pin 243 engaging the lower edge of a latch member 244, pivotally mounted at 248 to the stationary frame of the machine. During the above operation of lever 2I3, pin 243 is carried rearwardly and latch 244, under influence of spring 246, is moved into position for holding lever 2I3 and, through levers 2I2 and 228, also the detent I in their operated positions. Engagement therefore of the control pin 240 related to the deposit column with finger 231 will be ineffective to release detent I and the carriage will continue shifting until stopped by engagement of finger 231 with control pin 240a, related to the new balance column position, the stopping devices being rendered effective as follows:

Mounted within the right and left framing of the platen carriage is a flanged bar I (Fig. 4) having a cam shoe 241 fast thereon. As the platen carriage passes between the deposit and new balance column positions, cam shoe 241 will engage a roller I91 of arm I98 (Fig. 1) fast to a transverse shaft I99 pivotally supported upon the rear framing of the machine. Secured to the right end of shaft I99 is an arm 250 (Figs. 1 and 2) provided with a pin 252 adapted upon rearward movement of arm 250 to engage an arm 253 of the latch member 244. Engagement of cam shoe 241 with roller I91 will rock arm I98, shaft I99, and arm 250, in a clockwise direction (Figs. 1 and 2) and, as cam shoe 24! moves free of roller I91 in the movement of the carriage, said parts are immediately restored counterclockwise by a suitable tension spring 25! attached to arm 258.

During the excursion of arm 250, pin 252 will engage arm 253 and rock latch 244 upwardly free of pin 243, whereupon lever 213 will be restored by its spring 254 and pin 243 will again be positioned beneath latch 244.

Restoration of lever 2I3 also frees lever 2I2 from holding release lever 228 and detent 'I. The latch arm 235, however, now holds lever 228 and detent I in their operative positions until released by the engagement of a control pin 240a with finger 231, to thereby bring the carriage to rest in the new balance column position in the manner as described for control pin 240 related to the deposit column position.

A total printing operation may be initiated in well known manner by depression of a total key 218 or by the automatic means of Patent 1,946,572.

Also, as fully set forth in said patent, a suitable cam shoe (not shown) secured to the right end of the flanged bar I95 acts to operate shaft I99 to control automatic carriage return devices. Said cam shoe serves to rock and hold shaft I99 in operative position so that power means near the end of an operating cycle may engage and operate means for engaging the carriage return clutch. A similar cam shoe (not shown) located on the left end of bar I95 acts to disengage the clutch as the carriage completes is return movement. During a carriage return movement a cam face 255 of detent 1 engages the left edge 256 of the stop notches I93 and said detent is cammed downwardly out of engagement with stops I93.

A thumb bar I3 (Fig. 1) is adapted upon depression to rock the bar I in a clockwise direction to thereby disengage stops I93 from detent 1 for manual operation of the carriage.

Also, bar I is adapted for clockwise rotation by means of a knob 245 to bring different flanges of bar I into cooperation with the carriage locating devices to provide for other program spacings of control pins 240 and stops I93.

It is desirable that the carriage locating detent 1 shall remain in substantially normal leftward position during any of these operations. The following means therefore limits the locator devices to an increment of movement substantially less than a column space (a slight movementbeing permitted for the purpose of initiating, under carriage control, the automatic registration and operation cycle previously referred to and fully described in referent Patent No. 2,209,512)

Supported upon studs 268 and 251, fast to the right side frame of the machine, is a slide 258 provided with a projection 259 at the forward end thereof. Pin 225 of cam arm 320 in the normal position of rest of the cyclic drive devices engages projection 259 and will hold slide 258 in its rearward position. A pin 266 at the upper rear end of slide 258 engaging the forward edge of the lower arm of a bell crank lever 26I serves to hold said lever in a counterclockwise position against tension of its spring 262. Bell crank 26I is fast upon a stub shaft 263 (Fig. 5) mounted in the right side framing of the machine, said shaft having an arm 264 fast thereon provided with a projection 265. Projection 265 is normally positioned in the path of movement of the hook end 266 of a pawl 261, pivotally mounted at 268 upon the arm 66 of the carriage cushioning devices. Upon disengagement of detent I from a stop I93,

incident to any of the above set forth operations,

movement of detent I toward the right is thus limited by the engagement of hook end 266 with the projection 265 of arm 264.

Immediately upon start of an operating cycle of the machine, pin 225, carried forwardly by cam arm 329, releases slide 258. Bell crank 26I, shaft 263, and arm 264 are thereupon free for' clockwise movement by spring 262 and projection 265 of arm 264 is carried out of the path of movement of hook end 266 of pawl 261. The detent 1 and associated parts will therefore be free for lateral movement following any of the operating cycles previously described.

Near the end of the return stroke of the cyclic devices, pin 225 (Figs. 1 and 2) of cam arm 329 reengages projection 259 and restores slide 258 and associated parts to their normal positions.

A suitable time lag between engagement of pawl 226 by pin 225, in releasing detent 1 and engagement of pin 266 with bell crank 261 in restoring projection 265, permits lateral move* ment of hook end 266 before projection 265 is returned into the path of movement of said hook end. i

In a leftward movement of arm 60, in cushioning the stopping action of the carriage, hook end 266 engaging projection 265 yields upwardly and is thereafter restored by spring 269. F

From the above description it will be apparent that an adding listing machine provided'witha tabulating carriage having a plurality of spaced stops cooperating with cushion stop locator means and a plurality of control elements for predetermining the effective stop is usable for various programs of operations requiring a' variable extent of tabulating positions of the carriage. Under such conditions in machines as previously made, the extent of the relative movement and speed attained between the locator devices and the platen carriage may cause the carriage in error to shift beyond the proper columnar position.

As earlier set forth, the improved means of this invention as herein described overcomes this failure by maintaining a definite relation between the control means for initiating reengagement of the cushion stop locator detent with the spaced stopping means of the shiftable platen carriage, regardless of the speed and extent of the relative movement between the platen carriage and the cushioned locating devices.

-I claim:

1. in a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with a stationary frame, a power urged tabu ating carriage having spaced stops and spaced control devices associated therewith, alocator detent stationary relatively to said carriage and capable of limited movement to engage said stops and of' independent limited movement parallel to tabulating direction, a pivoted lever I01 disengaging said detent from said stops, and a spring urged normally disengaged latch for said lever, of a finger inovaole with said latch and mounted for independent movement with said detent and cooperable with said spaced control devices for releasing said latch to permit reengagement of said detent with a selected spaced stop.

2. In a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with a stationary frame, a power urged tabulating carriage having spaced stops and spaced control devices associated therewith, a locator detent stationary relatively to said carriage and capable of limited movement to engage said stops and of independent limited movement parallel to tabulating direction, a

pivoted lever for disengaging said detent from said stops, and a spring urged normally disengaged latch for said lever, of a finger movable with said latch, and mounted for independent movement by said detent to maintain a substantiallyfixed spaced relation with said detent and cooperable with said spaced control devices for releasing said latch to permit reengagement of said detent with a selected spaced stop.

3. In a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with a power urged tabulating platen carriage having spaced stops and spaced control pins associated therewith, a stationary frame, a yieldable locator detent supported from said frame and adapted to engage said stops, a lever pivoted upon the stationary frame for releasing said detent and a spring urged latch for said lever normally held out of latching engagement; of a finger movable with said latch and adapted for independent lateral movement by the detent to maintain a substantially fixed spaced relation with said detent, and cooperable with said control pins for releasing said latch to permit re- 11 engagement of said detent with a spaced stop.

4. In a, printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with a power urged tabulating platen carriage having spaced stops and spaced control pins associated therewith, a stationary frame, a yieldable locator detent supported from said frame and adapted to engage said stops, a lever pivoted upon the stationary frame for releasing said detent and a spring urged latch for said lever normally held out of latching engagement by contact with said releasing means; of a finger movable with said latch,v and adapted for independent lateral movementby the detent to maintain a substantially fixed spaced relation with said detent, and cooperable with said control pins for releasing said latch to permit reengagement of said detent with a spaced stop.

5. In a printing mechanism, the combination of a stationary frame, a power urged tabulating carriage having spaced stopsand spaced control devices associated therewith, a locator detent stationary relatively to said carriage and capable of limited movement to engage said stops and of independent limited movement parallel to tabulating direction, a pivoted lever for disengaging said detent from said stops, and a spring urged normally disengaged latch for said lever, of a finger movable with said latch and connected with said detent for independent movement with said detent to maintain a substantially fixed spaced relation with said detent and cooperable with said spaced control devices for releasing said latch to permit reengagement of said detent with a selected spaced stop.

6. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said finger is normally held out of cooperative relation with said control devices by said latch.

7. In a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with a platen carriage power urged in a given direction, variably spaced stops and spaced control pins mounted within the framing of said carriage, a stationary frame, a normally restrained yieldable detent supported from said stationary frame and adapted to engage said stops, releasing means for said detent pivoted upon the stationary frame and operable to release said detent in a plurality of positions of the latter, latching means for said releasing means comprising a spring biased shaft pivotally mounted upon the stationary framing, and an arm fast thereto and held ineffective against the bias of said shaft by said releasing means; of a finger slidably mounted upon said shaft and rockable therewith and cooperating with said control pins to release said latch to permit reengagement of said detent with a spaced stop.

8. In a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with cyclically operable devices, a tabulating platen carriage, means for shifting said carriage in a tabulating direction, spaced stops and spaced control pins mounted within the framing of said carriage, a stationary frame, a normally restrained yieldable detent supported from said stationary frame and adapted to engage said stops, means for imparting a movement to said detent opposite to the tabulating movement of said carriage, releasing means for the detent pivoted upon the stationary frame and operable to release said detent in a plurality of positions of the latter, latching means for said detent comprising a spring biased shaft rockably mounted upon the stationary framing, and an arm fast thereto and held ineffective against the bias of said shaft by said releasing means; of a finger slidable upon and rockable with said shaft and having connections with said detent for lateral movement therewith, said finger being adapted to engage a control Din upon movement of the carriage to release the latching means and permit reengagement of the detent with a spaced stop related to said pin.

9. The combination according to claim 5 and including blocking means effective in the position of rest of the cyclic devices for limiting the movement of said detent and finger in a given direction to substantially less than a columnar spacing, and control devices operable during a cyclic operation to render said blocking means ineffective.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said blocking means includes a yieldable spring tensioned pawl movable with the detent and an arm mounted upon the stationary framing, said pawl being adapted to permit return movement of said detent when the cyclic devices are in their position of rest.

11. In a printing tabulating mechanism, the combination with cyclic operable devices, a power urged platen carriage having spaced stops and spaced control pins associated therewith, a stationary frame, a yieldable locator detent supported from said frame and adapted to engage said stops, a releasing lever for said detent pivoted upon the stationary frame and having slidable connection with said detent, normally ineffective power operating means for said lever, a

"selective operation control lever for rendering said power means effective, for initiating a cycle of operation of said devices, and for releasing the detent from a spaced stop, and a spring urged latch for holding said detent in released position, said latch normally being held out of latching engagement by contact with the releasing lever; of a finger movable with said latch and supported for independent lateral movement with the detent to maintain a fixed spaced relation therewith, said finger being designed upon engagement with a control pin to release said latch from holding said detent, a second latch mounted on a stationary frame and designed to prevent engagement of said detent with a spaced stop during release by the first latch, and means for subsequently releasing said second latch and reenabling said first latch, said means comprising a latch tripping finger secured to a spring tensioned rock shaft pivoted to the stationary framing of the machine, an arm fast to said shaft, and a trip cam mounted in the shiftable carriage adaptable upon engagement with said arm to provide reciprocating movement of said shaft for releasing said second latch, and a second control pin adapted thereafter to engage the finger and release the first latch for reengagement of the detent with a spaced stop related to said second control pin.

HOWARD M. FLEMING.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Muller Jan. 2, 1934 Number 

